Register control for rotary printing press



July 23, 1963 FIG. I?

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 FIG. l

`19 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 23, 1963 c..| HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL EOR ROTARY PRINTING PREss 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 INVENTOR July 23, 1963 c, L. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 19 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 INVENTOR ATTYS July 23, 1963 c. HQRNBERGER 3,093,436

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGS?.i

INVENTOR Maf,

ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. L.. HORNBERGER 3,098,435

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL RoRRoTARY PRINTING PRRss Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. HORNBERGER REOIsTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PREss Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR July 23, 1.963 c. L. HORNBERGER REGISTER ooNTRoL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 rl H www NN R NN ATTYSA C. L. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 July 23, v1.963

19 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER 3,093,436

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 10 FIG. 20.

INVENTOR Z977 il@ @wwe BMMM ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. ||oRr`|Es|sx=eGER4 3,098,436

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 sheets-sheet 1 FIG. 27. FIG. 24. if! 545 546 46 25T-z u 5.3/

July 23, 1963 c. L. HoRNBx-:RGER

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Aug. 29, 1961 INVENTOR ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER 3,098,435

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 13 INVENTOR my? ,w

ATTYS.

FIG. 38.

July' 23, 1.963

Filed Aug. 29, 1961 c. L.. HORNBERGER O REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PREss 19 Sheets-Sheet 14 INVENTOR July 23, 1.963 c. l.. HoRNBERGER 3,098,436

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PREss Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet l5 G. 3g QM l'- IG. 40.

FIGAI. M

INVENTOR ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. I HORNBERGER 3,098,436

REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 FIGAB. H644.

July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL RoR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 INVENTOR ATTYS.

19 Sheets-Sheet 17 .f mwN NNN. RW/

July 23, 1963 c. L. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL. FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 f INVENTOR ATTYS.

July 23, 1963 c. l.. HORNBERGER REGISTER CONTROL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS FiIed Aug. 29, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 19 United States Patent O 3,098,436 REGISTER CONTRGL FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESS Clarence L. Hornberger, Lancaster, Pa., assigner to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 134,685 5 Claims. (Cl. 10i-248) Ihe present invention relates broadly to rotary printing and more particularly to a rotary printing press and system 1adapted to manufacture gravure-printed oor coverings or the like.

More sepcically, the present invention relates to otiset gravure printing of la rotary character having extremelly high operating features, high quality lof end product produced, and providing for optimum working conditions.

It has been `found that when printing designs on telt rug bases and the like, and which design necessitates a plurality of colors in ink, ofi-set gravure printing results in favorable Working conditions and optimum quality in the end product. While flat bed land/tor direct gravure presses have heretofore been lutilized, certain limitations as to the design which cou-ld be printed or undesirable yoperating characteristics of the machine have been inherent therein.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide la rotary press of an off-set gravure type for printing of designs in ink on felt base to produce a printed rug which overcomes the drawbacks :and unsatisfactory characteristics of previously known devices.

The principle involved in use of :a press of the character of the present invention involves depositing various colored inks in proper position on a continuously moving web by rotating cylinders. Considered broadly, three such rotating cylinders a're involved in placing any one color, and when properly assembled with relationship to a driving means and a means lof transporting the web through an ink drying area, they constitute one stand of fthe over-all press and press system. As contemplated by the present invention, the entire press can consist of a plurality such as five of these printing stands spaced from one another along a continuous line. Another principal object of the present invention is to provide apparatus and a system such that removal and/ or replacement of various of these cylinders can be effected easily and quickly with a minimuum lof effort, and with ai minimum possibility of damage to the rolls. As will appear hereinafter only two of the rolls in any one stand need be changed for such purposes as change of design to be printed and/ or damage or wear of the rolls. The construction and arrangement of the present invention is such that these two rolls namely, the off-set and engraved cylinders in any stand Iof the press can be removed vertically from the machine by means of -a single overhead crane and removed to 1a cylinder cleaning station and ra'ck removed from the work area or space. This is possible due to the arrangement land mounting of the rolls. This arrangernent and mode of operation negate the necessity of moving the rolls laterally out from the stand for placement on dollies or the like with a`l possibility of damage to the rolls and to operating personnel while at the same time greatly decreasing the time required for such a change-over.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide in a rotary olf-set `gravure printing press a mounting and arrangement of the rolls such that any individual stand in the press may be rendered inactive by movement of solely the ofi-set cylinder tor roll to inoperative position without in any way affecting the tension on the web ICC so that proper registry is maintained at all times due to a constant tension on the web even with one of the stands in inoperative condition.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in such a press an arrangement of the cylinders or rolls such that the -oif-set cylinder can be ea'sily and readily replaced 'by a flexographic roll and permit a flexographic printing rfor certain types of designs and/or over-printed borders.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in such a press a mounting yand control of the off-set cylinder such that it can, in any desired stand, be selectively raised or lowered to inactive and active positions and so timed with the remainder of the over-all press as to eiiect a skip printing which is particularly suitable for cross border printing, and such operation will not affect in any way the operation of the remainder of the press.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide in a' press of the character described, a novel doctor blade holder susceptible yof so mounting and being driven as to be substantially trouble free, susceptible of easy mounting and operation, Iand removal vertically from a stand of the press.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide in a press system of the character described, an a'rrangement whereby the web to be printed is so disposed yand led through the apparatus `as to provide easy access to the mechanism and permit removal of the `oE-set and engraved cylinders as also the doctor blade and holder from overhead without interfering with the web, and additionally permits maintaining tension on the web with the Ioff-set cylinder raised to inoperative position or 4removed for replacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a press in which the off-set cylinder can be moved to inoperative position without affecting the position of the impression or engraved cylinders while maintaining constant rotation of the ofi-set cylinder so as to maintain proper registry of the various cylinders.

A further object of the present invention is to provide in a printing press arrangement mounting and interconnecting drive means permitting of adjustment of the rolls tor proper pressure relationships and registry.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with lthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1a .and 1b are complementary lschematic elevational views illustrating the subject invention in a typical plant installation embodying a multi-unit press set-up;

FIG. 2 is an enlaged fragmentary plan view as viewed from line 2 2 FlGS. la and lb respectively illustrating the drive arrangement between the various components;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section as viewed from line 3 3 of FIG. I1a, of the transport system for facilitating press cylinder changes and servicing;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary end and side elevations of a press cylinder and associated bearing in course of transit;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2, of the infeed tension stand;

FIG. 6a is a similar view on line 6a-6a of the outfeed tension stand;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing details common to both infeed and outfeed stands;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of one of the press units with associated dryer section; 

1. IN A ROTARY PRINTING PRESS AN ENGAVED CYLINDER, AN IMPRESSION CYLINDER SPACED FROM SAID ENGRAVED CYLINDER, AN OFFSET CYLINDER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID ENGRAVED AND IMPRESSION CYLINDERS AND IN OPERABLE PRINTING RELATION THEREWITH, DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID CYLINDERS INCLUDING A MAIN DRIVE SHAFT, AN INTERNAL DRIVE GEAR SECURED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AN EXTERNAL TOOTHED DRIVE CLUTCH GEAR SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND HAVING THE TEETH THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE INTERNAL DRIVE GEAR, AN AUXILIARY SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID MAIN DRIVE SHAFT, A PINION GEAR ON SAID AUXILIARY SHAFT IN MESH WITH SAID DRIVE CLUTCH GEAR, A WORM GEAR SECURED ON SAID AUXILIARY DRIVE SHAFT, A WORM WHEEL OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT FOR SAID OFFSET CYLINDER AND MESHING WITH SAID WORM GEAR, MAIN CYLINDER DRIVE GEARS ON THE DRIVE SHAFT FOR EACH SAID CYLINDER IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT ONE WITH ANOTHER FOR SIMULTANEOUS DRIVE OF ALL SAID CYLINDERS, A BEARING UNIT ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID AUXILIERY DRIVE SHAFT HAVING AT ONE END THEREOF AN INTERNALLY SCREW THREADED PORTION, A CIRCULAR REGISTER ADJUSTING GEAR ROTATABLY SECURED ON SAID AUXILIARY DRIVE SHAFT, BUT FIXED AGAINST DISPLACEMENT, SAID ADJUSTING GEAR BEING EXTERNALLY TOOTHED AND HAVING SCREW THREADS FORMED IN SAID TEETH ENGAGING WITH SAID SCREW THREADS IN SAID BEARING, SAID AUXILIARY DRIVE SHAFT AND GEARS THEREON BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BEARING PARALLEL WITH SAID MAIN DRIVE SHAFT, A CIRCULAR REGISTER DRIVE GEAR IN MESH WITH THE TEETH ON SAID CIRCULAR REGISTER ADJUSTING GEAR AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO IMPROPER REGISTRY OF A WEB BEING PRINTED BY SAID CYLINDERS OPERABLE TO ROTATE SAID REGISTER GEAR DRIVE IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER TO THEREUPON ROTATE SAID REGISTER ADJUSTING GEAR WHEREBY THROUGH COACTION OF THE THREADED PORTIONS SAID AUXILIARY SHAFT WILL BE TRANSLATED COAXIALLY TO THEREBY ROTATE SAID OFFSET CYLINDER AN INCREASED INCREMENT BY COACTION WITH SAID WORM WHEEL TO RE-ESTABLISH PROPER REGISTER. 